


Playing fast and loose

by USSRomanoff



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Dancing, F/M, Smut, samtasha - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:10:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1994520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USSRomanoff/pseuds/USSRomanoff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha and Sam go home together after a night dancing. Natasha begins to fear this might end up more complicated than just a one night stand.</p><p>THIS STORY WILL NOT BE UPDATED AGAIN.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We are who we are

**Author's Note:**

> I'm contemplating making this longer than a one shot but I'm not sure if it would do well as a multi-chaptered story. Let me know if you would like to read more to try and help me decide whether or not to write more chapters.

Lights flashed in time with a deep bass beat, the rest of the song was covered up by the overpowering bass that was turned up further than it needed to be. The air was fragrant with smoke, booze and sweat from the pressing crowd on the dance floor. The crowd moved constantly, occasionally giving room to breathe but for thee most part pressing up against everyone else in the vicinity There was some relief at the bar of the club but Natasha was currently staying on the dance floor.

Dance cubs like this were normally not her scene at all. She couldn't think of a time she went to one when she wasn't undercover. It was a different experience, not having to be anyone in particular-- Just being Natasha Romanoff moving to the music and kicking back at the bar with her group. 

It had been Sam's idea to come out to the club. They took turns coming up with things Steve had to experience and he'd decided on going to the club. Steve had gone along with it for a bit but he eventually left the two of them. Natasha was honestly surprised he stayed as long as he had. He at least stayed a decent amount of time and gave it a chance, even if he wasn't completely comfortable there. 

Natasha's red curls fell in her face as she moved, not minding at all that her vision was blocked. She didn't' have to worry, not tonight. She was taking a break-- no one knew nor cared who she was in this crowd and it was refreshing. A body came up behind her in the crowd and she turned her head over her shoulder to make sure it as Sam and not some random guy trying to pick her up. She didn't want to deal with that tonight, she just wanted to have a good time. Luckily it was Sam. He kept as a respectful of distance as he could in the crowd surrounding them. 

Feeling assured, Natasha turned her head back and continued to dance. Sam matched her movements, putting a hand lightly on her waist to keep from knocking over her as the crowd moved. Natasha felt she could feel Sam's desire to touch her further. He was attracted to her, she knew that much. He also kept a distance between them. Natasha thought he was hesitant since he had seen her in the field. He still flirted with her, but it wasn't the same as fore he knew anything about her. 

As for her, she found Sam attractive, he was fun to hang out with and he came without the same complications as most the people she knew. No one had an active vendetta against him, his enemies were only people he met in combat. He didn't have connections to any of the organizations she did but at the same time he understood the world that she came from. Which made him a rare and interesting specimen. 

Natasha reached a hand back and cupped the back of Sam's neck, pulling him closer. If they were going to dance they might as well dance close and together. Sam moved closer to her but his touch stayed light on her still. Natasha bit her lower lip for a moment, she hoped he would just be into it for the moment but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Natasha figured she could only be a different person to a certain extent. 

The song changed, along with the beat of the bass thrumming through the dance floor. Natasha shifted her hips against him as she danced along with the song. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back and rested it against his chest. His hands slipped further around her waist, grip tightening. A small smirk played across Natasha's lips trying not to make to big a deal out of it. It seemed Sam just needed some coaxing to feel okay with getting closer to her. 

They dance close in the same position for a next couple of songs, or at least she thought it was a few songs. it was hard to tell when all she could hear was the bass thumping. Once the song changed again she turned around to face him. Natasha pressed against him, hands moving over his chest. Sam's hands settled on her hips, still lighter than she would like. They were making progress though so she wasn't too worried about it. She turned her eyes up at him, his eyes were focused on her. 

Natasha took things a step further, eyes locked on his as she gently slid her body so his leg was between her two. Her skirt hiked up bit as she pressed her body closer and her his against his thigh. Sam wet his lips, tongue darting out as he looked down at Natasha and raised a brow. Her eyes followed his tongue across his lips, she had originally only had dancing in mind but now watching his mouth caused Natasha to feel a deep throbbing between her legs. 

Sex wasn't Natasha's end goal, she wasn't sure if tonight would even lead there. Now that she thought of it though, she couldn't really find any good reasons not to with Sam. She was definitely attracted to him, but she was going to wait and see how the night lead. 

Someone from behind Sam bumped roughly into him, he tried to steady himself but his chin knocked into Natasha's forehead. Her hand came up to her forehead as a dull ache grew from his chin bumping into her, she looked up at him as he massaged his jaw. The spell of the music seemed to be gone as they grimaced at each other and rubbed their bumps and bruises. 

Natasha chuckled and reached up to touch his chin gingerly. "You okay?" she asked, raising her voice to try to be heard over the music. Sam nodded, pressing a hand to the small of her back and turning away from the dance floor and back to the bar where it was slightly easier to hear each other. She let him guide her that way, a little disappointed to be leaving the dance floor. 

Once they were at the bar, Sam leaned against barstool and turned to speak to Natasha. She moved in close to be able to hear him as he bent down to speak into her ear. 

"Sorry," he said loudly in her ear, "It was getting a little crowded out there. I was practically holding you." 

Natasha nodded and moved to speak in his ear. "I didn't mind that part," she replied, letting her lips brush against his ear. She felt him stiffen in surprise at her words. She pulled back and Sam was stared at her intently. She met his gaze, trying to figure out if she had crossed a line with him or what he was thinking. He was difficult to read right now, his face not really showing any emotion. 

She started to turn towards the bar, intent on buying herself a drink and trying to ignore the fact that she'd tried to flirt unsuccessfully with him. He usually flirted back with her but she supposed he wasn't in the mood suddenly. 

Sam's hand wrapped around her upper arm, turning her back to face him. She looked up at him as she turned, his face was much closer than before. Her eyes followed him, eyes flicking back and forth between his eyes and his lips. Sam pressed his lips against hers, firm but not demanding. 

Natasha closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss, her hand coming up to rest on his bicep. Her lips parted for him and his tongue slipped inside of her mouth. He tasted slightly of alcohol, they'd had a couple of drinks earlier when Steve was still with them. Natasha's buzz had long worn off by now but the taste still lingered. She wished he'd kissed her on the dance floor where everything was moving fast but her at the bar, even though it was just a few feet away, everything was too slow now. It gave Natasha time to think. She kept thinking that she shouldn't be doing this but she couldn't' think of any reason not to at the same time. 

Sam's lips were soft and warm, as much as Natasha reasoned that she should pull away she found herself moving closer to him rather than further away. The sounds of the club were buzzing around her but she couldn't focus on it, just the dull bass from the speakers. His lips began moving down her neck and across her collarbone, warming her skin as his lips peppered kisses over her flesh. 

Her eyes fluttered open when his hand came around and grabbed a handful of her ass. The club came back into view and she was reminded that they were out still and not in private. Natasha didn't' want to pull away from his lips but if they were going to continue then she wanted to move out of the club. She cupped his chin and pulled his head back up to meet her eyes. 

"We should leave," she said. Sam nodded and pushed off from the bar. His arms wrapped around her as they winded their way to the exit of the club. 

Sam hailed a cab and waited with her for it to come to a stop. He turned and looked down at her, tilting his head. Natasha knew that look, he was considering if this was a good idea or not. 

"Are you sure you don't want to just-- take separate cabs?" he asked her. 

"Do you?" she asked, arching her brow seriously. "Because if I wanted to do something-- or not do something then I would. God, I mean what do you think I was trying to do out there with you on the dance floor?" 

Sam cracked a smile and opened the door for her. '"Alright, guess I'm just slow on the uptake," he said. 

"Yeah-- I'd say so," Natasha chuckled as she slid into the cab and he followed her in, resting his arm on the back of her seat. Natasha smiled and curled p towards him, returning the small hot kisses he ha trailed on her neck, letting him give the driver his address. 

Natasha felt his pulse quickening under her lips. Cab driver given directions he turned his attention to her once more, threading his fingers through her hair and bringing her lips up to his once more. His kisses were more insistent now, he knew what she wanted from him for sure now and his kisses turned more demanding. Tongues crashed against each other as his hands travelled over her back. Natasha swore she heard the cab driver sigh as he took a turn with them all over each other in the backseat. 

The drive was shorter than she expected, before she knew it they were stopped out front of Sam's home. He came close to just throwing his wallet at the driver as he went to pay for the taxi. Natasha followed him out of the car, up the quick steps to his door. She was antsy to get her hands back on him once more. She managed to keep them to herself as he unlocked and opened the door by some miracle. Once they were inside she pressed his back up against the door, kissing him fiercely. Sam's arms hooked under her knees and picked her up, Natasha's legs wrapping around his hips. 

"You're sure I didn't get slipped some sort of hallucinogen right?" he asked her, voice hoarse and lips trailing down her collarbone towards the swell of her breasts. "Because I've had way too many dreams about this." 

"You'll have to tell me all about them after you fuck me," Natasha replied, fingers tugging up at the shoulders of his shirt and easing it over his head. 

"I don't know if I'll be able to remember them after that," he responded. He pulled her shirt off as well, revealing her lacy bra as he turned towards his bedroom. He held on tightly to her as he carried her, fingers digging into her ass and lips back on her own. 

"Setting high expectations already?" she asked, lips barely pulled away from his. She let out a soft sound as he dropped her on the bed and kicked his shoes off. Natasha sat up on the bed and began unbuckling his belt. 

"I wouldn't say that," he replied, "I just know the real thing is usually better than whatever you imagine." Sam moved to climb on the bed but was stopped by Natasha's foot pushing him back. 

"Pants off first-- then you can get in bed," she said. He smiled at her and shrugged, unzipping his pants as she kicked her own shoes off and unzipped her skirt, wiggling out of it. 

Sam stood in front of her with his boxers and socks as the only thing on him and held his arms open. "This alright?" he asked. Natasha fell back against the bed, red curls splaying out on the sheets and nodded up at him. 

"Yeah, I think that'll do nicely," she replied, lips spread wide in a grin. Sam crawled on top of her on the bed and she sat up to kiss his lips. His hands moved across her back and unhooked her bra deftly. Natasha shrugged out of it and tossed it aside, pressing her bare chest against his with a sigh. 

Sam moaned lowly and cupped a breast with one hand. His lips fell from her lips and began kissing over her round breasts. He sucked on a pert pink nipple, playing with it in his mouth with his teeth and tongue. Natasha groaned and dug her fingertips into his shoulders, holding him against her or a brief moment before pushing him away. 

"That's enough foreplay," she insisted, "I want you to fuck me." Natasha slipped her hands under the waist band of his underwear and pushed them off of his hips before he had a chance to protest. While she waited for him to remove her panties she wrapped her hand around his cock, gently stroking up and down his length. 

Sam shucked her underwear off and eased her legs apart, bring her knees up and around his waist. Natasha lifted her hips up towards him as he entered her. He started off at a slow pace but gradually built up to a quick and steady pace. He pressed his face against her neck, kissing her and breathing her in. Natasha moved her hips in time with his, setting up a good rhythm between the two of them. 

He held her close and tight, almost as though he was afraid she would slip away if he let go of her. Small moans escaped Natasha's mouth, filling the air around them. Sam's teeth bumped against the bend of her neck on accident and she let out a loud and needy moan. 

Sam pulled back to look at her face. "Do you like that?" he asked her. Breathless she nodded, she liked a little rough play with sex. Sam ducked his head back down to her neck and gave the flesh there a hesitant bite before kissing over the spot he bit. Natasha moaned again and raked her nails down his back. 

"More," she breathed, fingers digging into his back. Sam slipped a hand between them, rubbing her clit as he pumped into her. He bit her neck again, a bit further down from the first bite and a little harder as well. Natasha moaned and arched her back, lifting up off of the bed. 

"Natasha," Sam sighed in awe, he kissed back up her neck and captured her lips in a hard kiss. Natasha panted into the kiss, holding the back of his head to keep his head there. "I don't think I can last much longer," he groaned, lips barely pulled away from her mouth. 

"It's fine," she said. Natasha rarely was able to orgasm with someone else besides herself. She didn't worry about it when she hooked up, she just focused on having a good time and if she felt like she needed to get off afterwards she was perfectly able of taking care of herself. 

Sam groaned and shook his head. "I want you to first," he insisted. His fingers became more insistent between them, trying to see if more speed would help her to come. 

"Don't worry--" she started to tell him. Sam slipped out of her and moved downwards, slipping off the bed and pulling her hips towards the edge. "Sam--" she protested. Natasha just wanted him inside of her right now, she didn't care if she got off. 

Sam kissed the inside of her thighs. "How many chances does a guy get to make you come at his touch, Natasha?" he asked her, kneeling down and spreading her lower lips with his fingers. 

"I don't-- It's not--" Natasha tried to speak losing her train of thought quickly as is tongue flicked over her clit. "I just don't come easily," she managed to get out. Sam pressed two fingers inside of her and shook his head. 

"Let me try?" he asked, kissing her red curls between her legs and looking up at her. Natasha bit her lower lip. It did feel really good right now and she didn't exactly mind him trying. She wasn't sure it would lead to anything successful but she could at least lay back and enjoy him eating her out. She nodded and laid her head back down against the mattress. 

Sam returned to between her legs. He sucked on her clit and his fingers moved in and out of her. He quirked his fingers upwards, trying to find her g-spot. Natasha moaned, lifting her hips up as his fingers found just the right place. His tongue pressed against her center, teasing her clit. 

"Like that," Natasha encouraged him to keep as he was. She could feel heat pooling in her stomach but her body refused to relax enough to let her find release. It just kept building and building but she couldn't get her body to relax so she could find that release. It began to frustrate her as his head was between her legs. 

"Sam," she said, tapping on his shoulder. "Stop." He came up and looked at her, concern written over his face. 

"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded and pulled on his arm to make him get back on the bed next to her. 

"I'm fine," she insisted. "I just-- come kiss me okay?" Sam smiled and slid in next to her cupping her cheek. 

"Done," he said. Sam pressed his lips against hers and she placed her hand between her legs. She rubbed herself as she kissed him, her taste filling her mouth along with Sam's underneath it. She moaned in his mouth as she finally found the release she was searching for. Her orgasm was quick and gone within a moments flash for all the build-up she had for it. Sam pulled back from kissing her and tilted his head. 

"Did you just come?" he asked her. She nodded breathlessly, confirming that she had. Sam made a small pouting face. "I wanted to do that for you." 

"You did," she replied. "You did all the work." Natasha pressed on his shoulders and rolled him on to his back. "But now it's your turn," she told him as she straddled him, slipping his cock inside of herself with ease. She was so slick and wet now, she wouldn't be surprised if she could open a water park. 

She moved her hips on top of him, moving steadily to try to get Sam to cum. He moaned, hands moving up over hips and then to cup her breasts. He watched her bouncing on top of him, moving his hips up to thrust into her as well. It didn't take long, as he promised earlier, before he thrust hard into her with a groan and shuddered. Natasha could feel his warm cum filling her. She bent her head and kissed his lips gently. 

"God, your'e so beautiful," he said in a whisper against her lips, one hand on her hip and the other buried in her hair. Natasha gave him a small smile but didn't reply otherwise. She rolled off of him and laid heavily against the mattress. It wasn't so long ago that she couldn't even fathom herself being beautiful. To her beauty was more than look sand she had been so ugly and twisted for so long. Sam sat up and watched her but didn't say anything else. 

"Do you mind if I stay the night?" she asked after a long moment. Natasha turned her head to look at Sam and he nodded, pulling covers back for them and settling back down on the bed. 

"Yeah, I'd really like it if you stayed," he said. Natasha caught from his tone that he was a bit confused and now cautious not to say anything else to upset her. She crawled under the covers and laid down next to him. 

"Thanks Sam," she replied. He nodded and tentatively placed an arm around her. She moved into his embrace and his arm tightened around her, holding her close to him. Natasha closed her eyes and started to doze off, slightly worried that Sam might have more feelings for her than she originally thought. She just wanted to have something without any complications. She hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her in the morning.


	2. Kiss and tell

Natasha was vaguely aware of Sam's alarm going off early the next morning, he turned it off and she went back to sleep easily. Sometime later she heard one of their phones vibrating from the floor but that went ignored as well. It wasn't until someone came over and started ringing Sam's doorbell insistently that either one of them really stirred. Sam groaned and let go of Natasha reluctantly.

"Let me go take care of that and then I will make you breakfast, okay?" He asked as he got up out of bed and slide into some sweatpants that were hanging off his clothes hamper. Natasha sat up and nodded, running a hand through her wild morning hair. 

Sam smiled wide at her before he disappeared out of the room. Natasha sighed and looked around the room. She wanted to just shrug it off, to think oh Sam is just nice but she knew better than that. Sam had it bad for her and she seriously doubted that he would just be willing to fall back into how they were before last night. Natasha wasn't one for relationships, her track record with them mostly ended in some tragic way. It made her nervous to attempt to start one. She could barely commit to adopting a cat, how was she supposed to deal with the stress of caring for someone else? She was constantly worried about one of her enemies catching up with her, she couldn't handle having to worry about someone else being used against her. 

She could hear two male voices coming from the front room but she couldn't a make out what was being said or even who the other voice belonged to. Natasha started getting impatient waiting on Sam and brooding over possible outcomes for where this could be going with her and Sam. She decided that she couldn't stay here in Sam's bed. 

Natasha rolled out of bed and slipped on the clothes she wore last night. She would apologize to Sam quickly and see herself out. She didn't have any transportation but she could figure that out once she was out of here. She just felt that sticking around would end badly and not be a good idea in the long run. 

"I'm going to go ahead and see myself out, I'll see you later--" Natasha said as she walked into Sam's front room, her last words trailing off. If she had been thinking about anything besides almost panicking over the looming threat of a relationship she would have realized that it was Steve who had come over. That was why Sam had an alarm set so early and who had been calling this morning. He and Steve went running together on a regular basis. So having not shown up, Steve being who he was, came to check on Sam. And now Natasha was coming out of the bedroom in the same clothes she was wearing last night, messy hair and likely smeared makeup too. 

The whole room froze for a long moment, none of them really sure how to react. Natasha silently cursed herself for not having the patience to wait till Sam returned to the bedroom. It looked like Steve was just about to leave as well. She could have avoided this whole thing. 

"Hey Nat," Steve said casually. "You both enjoy the, uh, club?" Natasha winced internally, Steve was so bad at lying. He couldn't even hide that he was dying to know what was up between her and Sam. 

"Yeah, anyways I'm leaving," she said. She wasn't drawing this out with small talk, she was getting out now while she could. Sam moved towards her, his eyebrows raised as he was about to ask her a question. 

"Do you need a ride or--" 

"No," she cut him off. "I'm fine, I'll talk to you both later." She purposefully included Sam and Steve together in a group so as to keep Sam from thinking she would seek him out. His face fell a little but he let her leave. Steve stayed behind, she had a feeling he was about to stay way longer than he had planned. 

Natasha wished she hadn't worn heels the night before but made it to a bus stop. It was pretty low when she was taking a bus but she didn't really have many other options right now. She eventually made it back to her apartment where she fell face first into her bed with a groan. 

Later that evening when she had showered and was trying to relax she heard her doorbell. With a sigh, Natasha got up from the couch and opened the door. She expected it to be one of two people there waiting for her on the other side of the door. Steve did not disappoint as he stood there in her doorway. 

"Can I come in?" He asked. Natasha nodded and moved aside for him. He sounded formal and she wasn't sure if it was because he felt awkward or if it was because he was disappointed in her for some reason. 

"What's up?" She asked, moving back to the couch and picking up her glass of wine. Whatever brought Steve here she had a feeling she was going to need a drink. 

Steve sat stiffly down on her couch as well. He didn't speak for a second. He just sat and looked over Natasha's bare apartment. "I was just wondering what is going on with you and Sam right now?" He started out. Natasha felt he was gearing up for some sort of lecture. She wasn't having any of that. 

"That's really none of your business," she replied. She kept her voice calm and collected, sipping on her wine. This wasn't her first interrogation and she would be damned if Steve was going to get anything out of her. 

"Right, I realize that but--" Steve sighed. "I sort of put things together and talked a bit with Sam. I don't think he would have said anything if he wasn't upset." 

"What does he have to be upset over?" Natasha scoffed. She had given him a real good fuck last night, sure they weren't picking out rings but what did he really expect? She wasn't doing anything that was hurtful so he needed to calm down. 

"You do know he's been carrying a torch for you since you met right?" Steve told her. "I had to try for the longest time to convince him it wasn't going to go anywhere with you and then you-- spend the night." 

Natasha couldn't even point out to Steve that no on said carry the torch anymore. He was starting to really get under her skin, even making her angry with him. "Why would you tell him something like that? How are you supposed to know who I do or do not want to be with?" She snapped angrily. 

"I didn't mean to be-- look I'm just saying that I didn't think you were the sort of girl to go steady," he replied, hands up and trying to go back on what he'd said. 

"Well Steve, I'm not a girl I'm a woman and no one goes steady anymore so it's not so e big fault of mine," she replied. 

Steve sighed, "I mean date, you aren't really going to date someone, long term." 

Natasha narrowed her eyes, who the hell did Steve think he was coming in her home with his damn holier than thou attitude? "You don't know that and you shouldn't go around talking about me like that. It's none of your damn business if I date, don't date or just go around fucking who I like. Don't stick you nose where it doesn't belong. You had no right to try to warn Sam off of me like that." It was no wonder that Sam had been hesitant at first last night if Steve was filling his head full of nonsense. 

"Nat," Steve said trying to mend the fences he was quickly taking down, "I didn't mean-- look Sam is my friend too and I know he's looking for something long term. He's had a thing for you for a while and now after last night his hopes were up a bit that you two could have something. That's all okay? I didn't mean-- I wasn't trying to meddle or talk badly of you. He just asked me a while ago if I thought he should ask you out and I told him I hadn't really seen you date. That's it I swear. I know I came off-- well, I'm just trying to figure out how two of my friends could be happy." 

Natasha frowned into her wine glass before she set the empty glass aside. "Fine, I don't want to talk about this anymore," she insisted. Steve nodded and didn't say anything more, he just sat back against pillows and watched as she turned on the TV and flipped through channels. 

She was frustrated at Steve for trying to meddle. For telling Sam not to ask her out and for coming over here to try to see if she was going to date Sam now. Granted, she probably wouldn't have gone out with Sam if he had asked but she could have had that option. Now she knew she needed to avoid Sam as much as she could for now. She wasn't about to have anyone trying to claim he was being led on by her or whatever nonsense. Yes she slept with him but she didn't want anything more. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to sleep with him again if that was an option.


	3. Crazy kids

Natasha planned to avoid Sam till this blew over, which was easier said than done. Since SHIELD's collapse her world had gotten significantly smaller. She didn't trust easily before but now she was really hesitant about who she spent time with. She contemplated going to New York for a brief while, seeing how Hill was doing with Stark. Moving wasn't exactly hard for her, her personal possessions were few and aside from her guns there wasn't much that she would go out of her way to make sure she took with her.

She thought about it but made no move to actually get out of DC. She had one excuse or another which she knew to all be bullshit. She got along better with Steve and Sam than Maria and Tony for one. She could ride out initial awkwardness until they were okay with each other. 

For the next couple weeks she kept to herself. Sam didn't text her and she didn't contact him either. For her, at least, it seemed that things were calming down. Maybe they wouldn't be ready to hang out together just yet but she felt like there had been enough time and distance for them to be back to normal in almost no time. 

Her phone buzzed as she was getting up and ready to go out for a jog. She glanced over at her phone as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. 

**New message Steve:** Sam is planning a movie marathon of "classic Star Trek" movies tonight. You in? 

Natasha pursed her lips and tightened her ponytail before picking up her phone. Had enough time passed yet? Steve would be there but after her last encounter with him she wasn't so sure she wanted to see him either. She sighed, she had to see them at some point. 

She typed off a quick reply to him: Sam know you're inviting me? 

**New message Steve:** Yeah he's fine with it. He just wasn't sure if an invite from him would be wanted. 

Natasha shrugged, she supposed that was good enough for her right now. She grabbed her keys before she sent off a reply to Steve: Yeah okay. I'll be there. 

Her run went well, she showered and dressed casually for going over to Sam's. It was a regular enough of an activity that she didn't feel like it would be much to stress over. She'd sit and watch Star Trek, making an occasionally comment on the campiness on some parts and just relax. It was easy enough and didn't take too much interaction. It was possible that this would help ease them all back into normalcy. 

Giving herself a little time so as not to arrive before Steve she knocked on Sam's door. She brought a six pack of beer that at the very least she could shotgun if things got too bad. Sam opened the door, he looked a mixture of pleased to see her and confused. 

"Did, uh, Steve invite you over?" He asked. Natasha cursed herself for not texting Sam and making sure that Steve wasn't pulling a fast one on her. Steve was so bad at lying she thought he wouldn't even attempt at texting but he could be sneaky when he wanted. She underestimated him and it was biting her now. 

"Yeah," she replied, "He said you were fine with it when I asked." 

Sam laughed and shook his head, opening the door wider to let her in. "Man, I think he's trying to Parent Trap us. He just texted me to say he couldn't come. And never mentioned you at all." 

Natasha groaned and entered Sam's home anyways. "I'm starting to suspect he likes meddling far too much for his own good." 

Sam laughed again and shut his front door. He shrugged and crossed his arms. "Did you want to stay?" He asked her, he gestured behind him. "I got a few snacks ready and you brought beer so..." Sam trailed off and looked at her hopefully. 

The benefit to staying would be that he is aware and recognizes what Steve was attempting to do, and it would give them a chance to see if they were ready to fall back into just being friends again. She nodded and moved over to the coffee table where he had set up some chips, dip and some other snacks. She set down the beer and sat down on the far side of Sam's couch. She hoped he would stick a movie in but instead he lingered by the door. 

"How have you been?" He asked, watching her from where he stood with crossed arms. Natasha replied with a shrug. 

"You know, just keeping busy," she said. He nodded but still didn't move to sit down. She wondered if he was hesitant to be near her nor what his deal was. If she was totally honest, her eyes had been traveling to his lips quite a few times, thinking about how she'd like to feel his lips against hers again. She kept trying to ignore those thoughts but they kept creeping in, unbidden. 

"I-- uh-- I was actually thinking of calling you sometime," he said. That made Natasha arch her brow high. Sam wasn't one for calling too much, he preferred to text rather than anything. "But you know, it's better to talk in person." 

"Right," Natasha said slowly, watching him through narrow eyes. He looked nervous, what was he needing to talk to her about? Was he taking some advice of Steve's? Whatever it was she knew it had to do with the last time she saw him. She stiffened, uncomfortable with whatever was about to be said. 

"Anyways, uh, look-- I know we're adults and these things can happen sometimes and not affect a friendship at all, and I'm cool with that but. I still would like to ask you out to dinner," he said. 

"A date?" Natasha questioned, making sure that she had heard him right. He nodded in reply eyes wide and hopeful. Natasha didn't get asked on dates, in fact she couldn't think of any time she had been on a date and it hadn't been part of a cover. She bit her lip, she supposed there was no harm in going on a date. Then afterwards it could be easier for them both to realize this wouldn't work out between the two of them. Her dating experience was limited, what relationships she had been involved in, didn't really include dinner and a movie. More hidden secret kisses than that. Didn't leave room for casually strolling into an art gallery or whatever. "I-- I guess? I don't really have much experience with dating or anything but-- okay?" 

Sam grinned widely moving over to the couch and sitting down finally. He looked relieved that she had agreed to his suggestion. "Great, uh, I'll text you and set something up then? Probably next week?" He asked. 

Natasha nodded, as much as the idea of a relationship made her squirm! the prospect of a date was well-- exciting. This was brand new territory for her and made her feel slightly normal. "That works," she agreed. Sam slipped in the first Star Trek movie and settled against the couch with her. She felt better as they watched the movie, although she didn't know how this counted as trying to keep from entertaining anymore ideas about them. Well at any rate she still found him attractive and wouldn't mind fooling around with him more. As long as he understood that they were just fooling around and he shouldn't expect anything serious to come out if this.


	4. Out alive

Natasha treated this as any other time she was going out to dinner, at least when she was getting ready. She wasn't entirely sure how she was supposed to act on a date, not just as herself. It was a strange and uncharted territory for her. She wanted this to go well, just for no other reason than for her to have one successful date under her belt.

Sam had given her a few details, date and time he would pick her up but he didn't tell her where they were going. Just asked a few questions about what sorts of foods she liked, throwing out several different cuisine choices. She figured it could be any number of things, especially since she was fond of many different foods. Having travelled the world as much as she did she became familiar with many different cuisines and sometimes she didn't have any other choices besides what the locals ate. 

At seven, Sam knocked at her door, perfectly punctual. He was dressed better than she'd seen him before, he was wearing slacks and a buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She opened the door and gave him a smile. She didn't carry a purse and it was too warm for a jacket so she only needed to grab her keys. 

"Hey," she said, "I'm assuming no time for drinks because we have reservations?" 

Sam smiled and gave her a nod. "Yeah, I made reservations, how'd you guess?" 

"Because you don't ask that many questions about what sort of food I like to take me to Pizza Hut," she replied with a smirk as she closed and locked her front door. 

"You sure you're not as experienced at dating like you try to let on?" he said unlocking the car. 

"I'm just that good at reading people is all," she said. Natasha slid into the passengers seat and closed the car door. 

"Yeah? Because of the spy stuff, right?" 

Natasha laughed lightly, "Yeah, because of the spy stuff." 

Sam drove through DC, glancing at road signs as he did. Wherever they were going Sam hadn't been there before, it was a new area for him, outside of where he was used to driving. "Can I ask what made you decide to go into that?" 

"I didn't," she replied simply. Natasha wasn't given a choice but that wasn't exactly light conversation. 

"Well how did you--" 

"This really isn't the time for any stories about my past," she said. "Besides, most of it is now online after I published SHIELD's private files." 

"I know but I would rather hear it from you than reading about it," he insisted. After a pause he added, "But it doesn't have to be tonight if you don't want to." 

"Thanks," she said. She knew that Sam had training as a PTSD councilor but that wasn't exactly where she wanted the evening to go. 

"So recent work then," he said, not giving up. "What have you been doing lately?" 

"Not much," she shrugged, "I've been in contact with Hill but right now I'm taking time for myself." 

"Nothing wrong with that," he pulled up to a curb, opting for valet parking. Natasha looked at the restaurant, it was a well known and good French restaurant here in DC. She hadn't had a chance to try it yet, she tended to go for quicker food and less fancy as well. 

"This looks nice," she said as she got out of the car. She waited on the sidewalk for Sam to join her, he walked around with a cheeky grin and placed his hand on the small of her back as the walked into the restaurant. 

"It had good reviews so I thought it was worth a shot," he replied. 

"Works for me." Natasha hadn't had French food in a while and she was eager to eat. She didn't say anything about Sam's hand on her, it was warm and felt comforting. He gave his name for the reservation and they were led to a table. 

Opening the menu, Natasha was disappointed that the menu wasn't entirely in French and that English descriptions of the dishes were provided. She glanced up at Sam and noticed the look of relief when he opened the menu. 

"Don't read French?" she asked. He shook his head and laughed. 

"No, I took ASL in high school," he replied, "you read French though?" 

"Read and speak it, among several other languages." 

"No kidding?" He asked, eyebrows raised. "What else do you speak?" 

"Might be quicker to list what I don't speak," she replied as she looked over the menu, trying to decide what she wanted to eat. 

"So you know a lot of languages?" 

"Makes the job easier, I mean-- I don't naturally even have an American accent. It just makes it easier for me to blend in." Natasha looked up from the menu, already decided on what she was going to order. 

"But do you need to blend in now?" 

"Not necessarily but I have been doing it for years now, it is more second nature than anything else at this point." 

"So how does your voice sound without changing your accent?" 

Natasha didn't get a chance to reply as their waiter arrived to take their drink orders, she waited for Sam to give his order before ordering a wine she knew would pair nicely with her meal. After the waiter left Natasha looked back down at the menu, hoping Sam would have forgotten his question and move on to a different topic. Something less personal would be nice, she would try to steer the conversation that way. 

"Anyways," Sam started to say and Natasha cut him off before he could back on the previous topic. 

"You watch Game of Thrones?" Natasha asked, setting her menu aside. Sam looked a little taken aback from the sudden change in conversation. 

"Uh, yeah," he replied. "I've watched it a bit." 

"It's one of the only shows I follow closely," she said. "I watch others but I don't mind if I miss an episode of them. I read all the books as well." 

"I haven't gone that far. Aren't they about 800 pages each?" 

"A bit more than that but yeah. They're long," Natasha looked up as their drinks came and the waiter asked for their orders. 

"I'll have the, uh steak," Sam said, pointing to "steak au poivre" on the menu. 

"Carre dagneau roti for me, please," Natasha passed over her menu and looked back at Sam. 

The night went well, Sam stayed away from more personal topics and the food was delicious. Natasha was surprised that going on a date wasn't all that difficult. It was really not all that different than normal besides Sam's increased interest in her. 

As the dinner came to a close Natasha thought it wasn't too bad to go on dates, if people asked her out more often she might be more willing to say yes. Of course, most people were not confident enough to ask her out. Sam was great, and Natasha was starting to wonder if it wasn't such a bad idea to date him, or whatever it was. She didn't know how likely she would be to agree to a relationship but more dates wouldn't be bad. 

Sam brought her back to her apartment, walking her up to her door. 

"So what did you think of that since you said you haven't been on a date as yourself?" Sam asked, leaning against her doorframe. 

"It was nice," she said with a small smile. Natasha took a step forward closing the gap between them. Sam moved off the doorframe and put his hands on her waist. She leaned up and pressed a kiss against his lips. Sam's hands tightened around her and pulled her close, kissing her harder. Natasha's hands moved up to his shoulders, holding him tight and drinking him in. He was a good kisser, and good in bed as well. 

Breathless, she pulled back. "Do you want to come in then?" she asked. 

Sam groaned, pulling away. "Yes, but I also want this to go past just one date and occasional fuck. I want to take you out again." 

Natasha blinked, a bit confused how that logic worked. Just because they went on more dates didn't make her any more likely to want a relationship. "Oh, uh, okay," she said. 

"I'll call you, night Natasha," Sam said before he pulled away and left.


End file.
